Naruto, the Ninth Blade
by The Swordslinger
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki, disciple of the Hachiou Executioner Blade, trained by Ganosuke Yokiou in the arts of Satsujinken, and a well mannered killer. He finds himself having fun with the Shinpaku Alliance and Kenichi's views on what a hero is. Chakraless, Strong, Grey but not dark Naruto. Chapter 1 is a prologue.
1. Chapter 1

I OWN NOTHING

If Kenichi was my own character he'd throw away the "no hitting women" policy, and don't get me wrong, I hate violence against women, but when said ladies are willing to fight you do fight them to show respect.

**XXXXXX**

The unofficial blade

"Are you lost, or just foolish?" a large, towering and intimidating shadow asked the youth before him.

It was a boy of about seven with a very lean complexion that showed malnourishment, his golden hair was covering his face due to the blood caking him and his body. He wore only ragged orange pants and a once white now red shirt. All around the kid bodies of people with all kinds of weapons from almost all the families of guns and blades laid beaten and dead. The boy raised his head up, looking at the statue of a man with perhaps the strangest eyes the man had seen, a red crimson iris with slit pupils stared at him as a fanged sneer made him realize the boy was not listening to reason. His eyes were pure rage, and it was obvious he wasn't thinking for even at his age one should know to avoid charging at an army with weapons.

The youth jumped, his fingers were long and sharp as daggers, and hurt just as much. But the man was fast, and very well trained. Before the wild kid could land a hit the elder pulled out a wakizashi and by using the pummel knocked out the boy by hitting him on the back of the neck. The blond fell down and only then did he, Ganosuke Yokiou, notice that the child had managed to fight him with several knives attached to his back.

"Even on the brink of death, you chose to fight me… I'll commend on you, child. You got the spirit, but… who are you?"

However, while he remained calm, the kid's mind was anything but that. Images rushed through his brain, people swarming all around him, their hatred making them attack a boy who knew nothing of what they talked about and ran. The darkness soon covered the boy as pain shot through his every nerve, and then just a light. After a flash he knew nothing of what happened or how he got where he was, only a voice that spoke to him.

"**Even at the cost of chakra you'll still live somewhere else far from here. You won't be fully human, even without chakra or jutsus to help you. You shall go far… Enjoy your new life, Naruto.**"

XXXXXX

Fast forward to ten years to the present and a young man in stylish clothes and shades walked in the busy streets of Tokyo's Chinatown. He had a light tan of golden skin, short spiky hair pulled backwards, and strange whisker-like marks on his cheeks said out loud. He wore a pair of rectangular sunglasses hiding his eyes, and even in the dark he was able to see. He wore olive green trench coat, button-up white shirt hanging down to his thighs, gray pants, and black dress shoes with a golden toe guard.

What called the attention was the bag slung on one shoulder, which judging by the shape it had the blond youth was carrying a bamboo sword the kind kenjutsu students carry. He sighed, "This is why I prefer night missions, so much easier to carry my real swords. Then again, I am supposed to beat people up, not kill them…" He scratched the back of his head, "Some professional I am carrying a stick to beat people… Well, I did say I was bored of the same old, same old." He pushed up his shades and kept on walking as he looked for his partner, pulling out her picture, "Let's see, a really adorable pigtailed cutie…"

With that description in his mind he looked around for her, only to listen to a loud yell. He stepped to the side, letting a few teenagers trying to pass as yakuza fall down. People started to shrug it off and returned to their daily lives. Seeing as somehow this was common in this place the blond did feel intrigued and decided to screw the rules, he had a bamboo sword.

He whistled at the sight, which didn't go unnoticed by the one giving the whooping, "Who are you?" asked a voluptuous Chinese girl in a tight red dress with a boob-window, black hair done in intricate rings and with two pigtails that somehow reminded him of cat ears, and a thug barely breathing held by his collar in her hand.

"I'm looking for a girl, a friend of mine, we're supposed to be on a date." He said, though in his mind he laughed a bit, '_Whoever this Li Raichi is, she's gonna be fun to tease with this._'

The Chinese girl let the thug fall down and looked at the picture, "Hmm… Well, you're really lucky for a yakuza wannabe."

He chuckled, "I know the outfit's the kind of stuff you wouldn't like to associate with, even more considering what kind of people you just beat up." The blond said, walking over to her and stepping over a beaten thug, "So tell you what, you do help me find my date, I'll owe you any favor you want." He raised his hands defensively, "I promise, I don't want any problem, I'm just a bit behind schedule and I can't find her."

The girl raised a brow, "Well, I am looking for a date of my own." She said, growling as she let go of the thug and had him fall hard on the ground, "These idiots ruined our time together, so if you help me find him I'll help you find your girlfriend. I do know these streets well, so you won't have trouble getting lost."

"Thank you, um…"

"Renka, Ma Renka. And you?"

"Uzumaki Naruto, a pleasure to meet you." He bowed politely, holstered his temporary weapon, and gave the girl a smile, "So, where should we go find someone lost? A park, perhaps?"

Renka snapped her fingers, "I know where Kenichi could've gone. It's a really nice park and it's not far from here."

"Kenichi, is that your boyfriend?" Naruto asked out of curiosity as he followed Renka.

The Chinese girl blushed madly, rubbing her cheek, "Oh my, can you already tell? But sadly no… Or not yet, but soon."

Naruto sighed, '_Kenichi, whoever you are, I think I'll envy you._' He held his case and reached into it for his temporary weapon's handle. The next instant he and Renka jumped high into the air as men armed with sabers jumped out of nowhere. The two dashed to the streets where people already ran off to give some space. The blond took off his case and held the bamboo sword in both hands, and Renka meanwhile took her own kenpo stance.

"I'm sorry to put you into this, but you can fight, right?" Renka asked the blond, "These guys are very stubborn and your stance says you're clearly stronger than you look, so, mind helping a lady in her search for love?"

The blond chuckled, "I'd be pleased to. But you'd owe me… Invite me to some A-grade meat buns and we're even." Naruto said as he put his weapon to his side and rushed the thugs, some pulled out brass knuckles as they tried to get close to the blond. He slashed at the first but his opponent dodged the swing, going for an uppercut to which Naruto grinned. The thug barely registered that what he saw himself dodging was an after-image until the blond stabbed him in the gut, ramming the end of his bamboo sword far in the crook's stomach with enough force to send him flying. Still keeping his sword gripped in both hands he stood his ground and waited for the others to come at him. He discovered that he wouldn't need to as they all rushed at Renka to get their asses handed to them.

Here he wondered what the fuck he was even doing until one of the sword wielding goons tried to attack him from behind. The blond squatted intercepted the man's wrists with the 'blade' part of his sword, which would've cut off the hands should this be a serious fight for him, but since he was tasked with beating the snot out of someone and not their blood and most of their intestines, he pushed up the saber with a jump before turning in the air and delivering a slash that cracked three ribs and broke one.

Seeing as Renka was about to get carried away with beating the last thug, Naruto threw his weapon at the man, nailing him in the jaw which caused five teeth to fly off along spit and blood. "Hey, I had that one." Renka argued as Naruto walked to his weapon and case, putting the bamboo sword back in and hefting the bag on his shoulder.

"I thought you were looking for your date too, I didn't want to waste time." He said with a smile.

Renka sighed, "True. Well, over here." She said and soon the two were moving to the park. And sure enough they found their 'dates' just as they were about to reach it, with Naruto's running off and gasping as she saw him and some brown haired boy gasping and running with Renka jumping like a cat pouncing on the terrified mouse the teen was.

"Man, what an odd date that guy has." Naruto said before turning to his partner, the pink haired pigtail carrier Li Raichi whose small, lean body hid much power. Her green eyes turned to him, "Didn't expect me here, did you?"

"I… You… Weren't you supposed to be at the rendezvous point?" she asked, though the look on her face showed she was really worried about more than him being there.

"I wasn't given any memo about that, so I tried to find you." He replied.

Raichi almost snapped, grabbing his arm and pulling him with her, "There's no time, we need to get to my fa- I mean, my master, now!"

Just as the two were about to leave, Renka, who had finally pinned Kenichi down, shouted at the couple, "Have fun in your date!"

Naruto could say many things about Raichi's face at that time, but mostly he would say it was priceless, and adorable. In the end, she just groaned, "Listen, we're supposed to face a little group of people opposing Yami, some independent fighters who are gifted. It shouldn't be a problem, but I guess that's now why you're here."

He shook his head, "I'm serving my punishment." He motioned to his bamboo sword, "No swords or privileges for me for this mission for disobeying an order."

Raichi's eyes widened, "What?! Are you out of your mind?! You can't just disobey Yami without having a death wish!"

Naruto chuckled, "So I've been told, but considering I never gave a damn about anything but the training, we have the agreement that so long as I prove myself as a fighter I can live as a freeloader. Trust me, I've heard of my masters complaining about YOMI and even the Unarmed Division's actions from time to time. But while not being the only one to do as he wants, I think I have the record in breaking rules." He finished with a proud smile.

Raichi looked away from him just as they arrived to their destination, two people standing before them. One was a towering man with short black hair pulled in a ponytail, shades, a jacket, and a kodachi hidden in his persona, the other was an elder man of short stature with his hair done in a bun. The girl soon stepped forward and saluted the latter with the traditional Chinese martial arts bow and hand sign.

"Sorry for being late, father." She said, with her face now lacking any emotion.

"I told you to call me master!" As soon as she said the last word, Naruto drew out his bamboo sword and stood by her side, keeping his footing as he felt a master's power crack through the sword to his arms while Raichi's eyes widened. Her father, Li Tenmon, wasn't as surprised as he was angry at the sight of this boy interfering with his discipline routine, "How dare you stand between a master and his disciple?"

Naruto held his bamboo sword defensively, "Whether you're a master or not, I see no reason to hit her for calling you her father. If you really are her old man, why not say hi to her?"

"It is my duty to teach her how to be a real martial artist in this world, just like your masters do with you."

"And your duty, Naruto, is to carry your current mission." The other spectacled man said.

Naruto sighed, looking up into the sky, "I know, Master, but I don't even get my real weapons, and the targets are just a bunch of guys playing to be martial artists. Are you sure they can become a force for Yami to fear? Because YOMI should do."

Raigo nodded, "One of them is taught by several Grand Masters, just like you."

That picked Naruto's interest, "If he is really as strong as to take the teachings of more than one master… Can I go meet him?"

Raigo sighed, "When have you ever listened to us to do something other than training?"

Naruto grinned and walked off, waving back, "I'll see how good these guys are, and don't worry, I won't fight them unless Raichi-chan says so. I'm supposed to be her back-up, right?" he didn't even wait for an answer and was gone.

Li Tenmon huffed, "That brat knows no manners or respect and still tries to become a martial artist?"

Raigo pushed up his shades, "And yet, he's still the one disciple who has taken Master Yokiou's training to surpass him. Not only has he endured it, he has even become one with the art of the weapon."

Li Tenmon's eyes widened slightly but he spoke his mind, "Even if he were blessed, he acts nothing like a Satsujinken."

"That's why he's become our disciple. He fights for his own way without an ounce of killer intent, but that was only when he finished his first training chapter. Trust me, it wasn't like that when Master Yokiou met him." Raigo's face turned serious, "The instant he trained with us, it was like taming a beast. Pure rage and feral instincts oozed from him, he had no mind, only the urge to kill engraved in his mind. Then, one day, he returned to his senses. But make no mistake, the monster I saw in a little boy's body is the same person who stood with us a few minutes ago, he just gained a conscience and control over the mind of a monster."

Raichi nodded, feeling surprised at the way Raigo spoke of the blond, it was like he had met a real life demon.

**XXXXXX**

**And that's my rap! By popular demand, this fic has been made, and it also gives me possibilities to explore the Kenichi franchise in new and more creative ways. I will only promise I'll do my best.**

**And I also told you the possibilities for the harem: Shigure, Rachel, and Kisara are definitely in. Freya, Renka and Raichi are tough choices. Possible ones include Radin Tidat Lona and Mildred. I am open to suggestions and ideas so long as you guys give a good argument aside from hotness or else this fic would be a lemonfest and I'd like to keep it centered on a plot, not smut.  
**

**Swordslinger out!**


	2. Chapter 2

I OWN NOTHING

Quotes of true men: "I'd rather trust someone who's been betrayed 100 times than someone who betrays 100 people." And, "Crying can wait after our victory until I see you smiling again!"

**IMPORTANT:** I may give both Naruto and Kenichi a harem. With Naruto we have Shigure, Rachel, Kisara, Freya and Lona are officially in. For Kenichi I'd make it small with Miu, Renka, Li Raichi and perhaps Izumi. Before any of you rages and flames like this fic is supposed to be yours, two things: I am still the author and so my opinion will differ from yours, and I do like Kenichi as a character.

This fic is made to have both Naruto messing Yami and the Ryozanpaku dojo's shit and help Kenichi become a stronger character not physically but mentally. It saddens me a bit to see Kenichi doing things to impress Miu when getting little to no respect from others, so I want to make him grow and be able to say Naruto has an impact on him rather than just be with girls and be cool like many other fics. And to address one of my new readers, Shattering, who has had doubts about this in the previous chapter and some PMs, yes, this will be a harem because I enjoy writing things this way. It is my fic after all, and I want things to be fun for me to both write and read. I will make things have a purpose, not just shove lemons every chapter. But if you still don't like it then do as you please and step aside, write your own fic; this is me having fun.

**XXXXXX**

What's a hero?

Outside the Shinpaku Alliance HQ, Shirahama Kenichi was having a fun time just watering the plants. There was some peace and serenity to taking care of these living beings for him, but it got invaded by a shadow looming over him with a smile, "These are yours?" a blond with shades asked as he squatted beside Kenichi, observing the plants with a smile.

"Yeah… I'm the only one who wants to have plants here, so I do make sure to water them. I just enjoy it… Hahaha… Sorry, I must sound weird to you."

The blond stranger let out a laugh, "Not really. You do seem like you're having fun, and that's the important part. Say, why not have one of the guys in the building water them for you? It'd help you have some free time."

Kenichi chuckled, "This is my free time, it's both a hobby and an important part of my life. To be able to watch these flowers and plants grow makes me feel at ease even when things get tough for me."

"That's kind of a comic book thing, don't you think?" the blond asked, rubbing his chin, "Heroes always look for what's best for others, even if it doesn't make them happy or pains them… But I guess I couldn't call you a hero since you're caring so much for these plants… could I?"

Kenichi laughed at this guy's strange logic, "I don't think a hero's supposed to be feeling pain all the time. Sure, to get stronger and beat some bad guy they're bound to get hurt, but there's nothing bad about doing little things like this." He chuckled, "I always wanted to be a hero, though. To protect everyone when others don't want to… It's been my dream to do what others are scared of or try to ignore with my own hands."

His new friend laughed, "You're a strange one… But I guess it's fine. A hero, huh? Well, I also wanted to be one as a kid…" he let out a chuckle and a bitter sweet smile, "I would just run around, jumping and claiming I'd kick so much ass even the strongest of people would have my foot tattooed in their buttocks… I guess I was really selfish as a kid… And perhaps too foolish. I mean, as a six years old all I wanted and did was claim to be better to get respect from others… Kinda sad thinking how immature I was, but then again, you're supposed to grow learning from your mistakes, right?"

Kenichi agreed, "You're right. Ah, by the way." He extended a hand to the blond, "Shirahama Kenichi, a pleasure to meet you."

"Uzumaki Naruto, likewise, pal." The blond said as he shook the hand. Both got up with Naruto standing taller than Kenichi by half to an entire head, and the blond smiled as he hefted his bamboo sword's bag on his shoulder.

Kenichi then hummed, a hand on his chin as he looked at Naruto, "I think I remember you now, you're that guy who was with Renka at the park earlier today. She told me what you did to help her find me. Thank you." He bowed politely to the taller martial artist, making the blond chuckle.

"No need to thank me, I was just passing by and got curious, and it also helped me find a friend of mine who I believe you met. Li Raichi, cute girl with ponytails and pink hair." The brown haired teen nodded, making Naruto smile more. "Good to see you're the friendly kind. I've also heard from you that you're really strong as a martial artist, Kenichi. You're quite the celebrity around this city… It makes me a bit jealous."

Kenichi smiled, feeling flustered. He scratched the back of his head, looking down, "Now, now… I'm not that strong. There's someone far stronger than me, someone that inspired me to be stronger and who I want to protect for giving me the chance to become a hero."

Naruto smiled, "Sounds like one hell of a fighter."

"She is." Kenichi said, beaming.

Naruto laughed, "Hoh, what's this? A lady? Oh, Kenichi, you sly dog!" He laughed again as the teen blushed, "Well, I guess it's fine then, to be strong for someone you fell for."

"Please, don't say it like that! I mean, I… well, we… I…"

Naruto patted the teen's shoulder, "Hey, don't sweat it. I just love teasing others so do forgive me for being rude… Anyway, I'm glad I met you, Kenichi." He bowed and turned, waving as he left, "Take care."

"Same to you, Naruto-san!" the boy said with a grin, not knowing what would happen when he and the blond met again in less friendly circumstances.

Naruto looked up into the sky as the sun set down. With a sigh he pulled down his glasses, "He's a really nice guy… Heh, even then, I guess it'll be fun to see how strong he is to carry his own words." He stopped where he was, a bridge that let him look down at the water to meet his reflection, crimson eyes with slit pupils meeting their mirror twins.

However, just as he put his glasses, someone called to him, "Naruto?" Said blond turned to see Ma Renka again, waving at him with one Shirahama Kenichi looking both confused and worried at being with her, understandable considering the girl had chased and pounced on him like he was a meal which admittedly made the blond somewhat jealous. But this was Kenichi, a guy who he actually liked as a friend despite what Yami said to him, so in his opinion everyone in YOMI and who gave them orders could go and kiss the darkest part of his blond ass.

"Another date, Renka-chan?" he asked with a smile, making the Chinese girl give a strange feline grin as she held her brown haired friend and held him tightly.

"Not so much as date as it is me treating him nicely for having tackled him and let him get lost earlier today." She said with a grin, her pigtails wagging, but Naruto somehow pictured her face turning dark as the girl's mind ran with a couple of darker thoughts, '_It also serves to make that blonde billboard forehead see how a woman must treat such a nice gentleman._'

Naruto laughed to try to lighten the mood as he could feel something off, "You sure do seem happy and busy, so I guess you're about to have some fun."

Kenichi raised his hand to keep the blond from leaving, "Actually, I was going to meet a few friends… Would you like to come? That is, if you don't have anything else to do. Renka did tell me that you helped her so…"

"This is to repay that little favor?" he said, smiling in pleasant surprise, "All right, I do believe I'm owed some grade-A meat buns from your lovely lady friend. So, where are we going?"

Renka sighed, "You two will… I have to work, but I promised Kenichi to help him get to China Town for this meal with his friends at a restaurant. They made reservations and everything." She looked up, "Such a shame, you should've visited our restaurant, Kenichi. I'd been delighted to serve you and your friends some of our best food." She smiled and winked at the now embarrassed boy.

Naruto smiled, "You sure are lucky, Kenichi… Having such a caring friend… I'm jealous." He put his hands in his pockets and walked with them, "So, since Renka-chan isn't paying my meat buns… You can pay them for her and she will have to do something nice for you then, how's that sound?" he said with a warm smile, and in Renka's mind Naruto's trench coat gave way to angel winds for giving her the opportunity to owe Kenichi a favor and use it to get closer to him.

She looked at the teen who rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "Well… Since you helped her, I guess you're a good friend."

The blond grinned, "Hah, flattery is better used with the ladies, Kenichi."

"Sorry… So, you're really a swordsman?" the boy asked as he eyed the bamboo sword.

Naruto hefted the bag, "I am still training, but so far I'm glad with how strong I'm becoming." Here he pulled out the bamboos sword and took a samurai's standard stance, "I want to become a real life samurai, fighting those who cause others harm and being true to my own code of honor." He chuckled here, "I actually wanted to be a ninja when I was a kid, but I wasn't cut for the stealth or dirty fighting part of things. Thus I went with the best option, to be a samurai."

Renka smiled, "I'd say you are doing a great job, helping a lady find her beloved friend." Kenichi blushed and Naruto smirked.

'_These are really fun people…_' Naruto thought, managing to keep his smile as he walked with them.

XXXXXX

"This sure is a nice place." Naruto said as he and Kenichi entered a nice four star Chinese restaurant with quite a large group of teenagers relaxing in a table by making some noise.

He spied some skilled martial artists judging by their physique and postures. A blue haired ponytailed boxer who jabbed at the air to impress a waitress, a tall bulking Judo fighter who was trying to understand the menu, a petite redhead with a feline looking face and a green beret whose legs showed real strength, a corpulent yet muscular teen who was obviously dedicated to sumo if his green outfit said anything, a strange youth in a hat and trench coat who wrote some music as he waited for his order, and a mature looking dark skinned girl with short black hair, a scar on one cheek and a six pack in her abdomen showing.

But the one who called his attention was the truly odd one out, an alien. "Kenichi, you're late!" the boy in the bowl haircut with pointy ears said aiming a clawed hand at the teen, and then at the blond, "Who are you?"

"Uzumaki Naruto, a pleasure." The swordsman said with a polite bow, "Kenichi invited me, so I thought I'd come and see what this is all about."

The said teen chuckled, "I'm repaying him a favor, I hope it doesn't bother anyone."

Takeda chuckled, "Hey, the more the merrier. Also, he doesn't seem like a small fry carrying that bamboo sword."

Nijima sighed, "I feel something off with this guy." He said and stood up, looking at Naruto up and down, "You're a clear martial artist, with a master teaching you." The group went silent, amazed at what their alien self-proclaimed commander stated.

Kenichi was amazed, "Naruto-san, are you really another disciple of true martial arts?"

The blond smiled, "Can't get past your friend, can I?" he hefted his sword, "I'm training to become a true master of Kenjutsu, however I have ways to go before being as skilled as my master, but I guess I'm doing good."

Nijima raised a brow, his antennae popping out, "I see… So, why did you come here and try to meet with Kenichi?"

Naruto smiled, scratching one of his whiskered cheeks, "I was told of a martial artist taught by several real masters, so I got curious." He then turned to everyone, "But I am not here to fight, I am owed some nice meat buns and I'd really like to taste them before going back home."

"Not here to fight? So you could and would fight us." Nijima said, making Naruto feel nervous.

"I am a martial artist and a disciple; I may have to face you guys one day… But since Kenichi seems like a good guy, I would rather enjoy some time with you and get to know you better."

Nijima aimed a clawed finger at the blond, "You're a spy, here to learn our-" and he was silenced when Ukita grabbed his head.

"Oi, stop being paranoid! This is Kenichi's friend, so we can trust him!" the large Judo practitioner said, trying to catch the alien as he sneaked around his grabs.

Naruto chuckled, "You sure are a lively bunch, eh?" He inspected everyone carefully, looking for their reactions to his next words, "You all seem really strong, too."

Thor nodded with a grin, "We all have our own ambitions as martial artists, to either become stronger or change this world. I for one shall make a new world and shape it with my sumo!" the large teen said as he got up, raising his fists passionately.

"Hoh… that's big." Naruto admitted as he sat with the group, his bamboo sword resting at his side, "So from what I can see, you're more than the typical street brawlers. I'm sure it'd be fun facing any of you in a fight, just me, my blades and your own hand-to-hand combat."

"You're unusually chatty." Kisara said as she leaned back, pulling her bare leg up into her seat, "I do not want to believe the alien, but what's with the questions?"

Naruto chuckled, "Come on, I'm just curious… But if you must know, I am training after all; wouldn't it be usual for me to want to know people who could give me a good fight?" He got up and pulled out his bamboo sword and an extra practice sword, a bokken the size of a wakizashi, "However, since I'm here I may as well show you something nice, so you won't think I'm a bad guy and to give you an advantage. This is my usual stance." The blond said as he presented them his pose with a smile. His sword at his right shoulder's side, parallel to the ground while the short sword was in front of him in his left hand, parallel to the ground too and with the blade in front of his stomach.

"Nitoryu?" Kenichi asked, "To use two swords simultaneously for defense and offense in order to match any close combat user who would advantage themselves by using their fists too close to you. You're training with such a dangerous and complicated style?"

Naruto nodded and put his practice weapons back in the bag, "I am not very good at keeping my hands together in a fight. I use two swords because I'd rather go all out with everything I have than stay still."

"You just want to fight? That's a pretty simpleminded goal." Kisara said, "Well, everyone gets their kicks the way they want to."

"Like you with cats?" Naruto asked with a smile, making the beret wearing girl jump slightly to which he chuckled and scratched the tip of his nose, "I've got a really good nose. You smell of cat fur, so you are either living with a cat lady or really, really love cats."

Kisara grumbled and covered her face with her beret, "Shut up…" she turned to Kenichi, "Oi, Shirahama, where did you find this guy?"

"I met him today, he helped Renka-san, a friend of mine, earlier with some gangsters." The said short teen replied.

Freya, who had eyed Naruto carefully, finally spoke, "Those weapons you carry aren't your real ones." She said, meeting his gaze through his lenses sternly, "Where are your real swords?"

Naruto kept his smile, but inside his head he was nervous, '_These guys are terrifyingly good at detecting danger… Even for their skill level, I got to applaud them, though I'm not precisely subtle to begin with._' He sighed, knowing lying would be bad for his credibility, "I've got my swords confiscated because I put pink paint in my master's underwear." The others blinked as he leaned his head back, sighing tiredly, "I just felt tired of some of his bullshit so when I had the chance to get close to the laundry I set two special balloons ready to pop filled with paint so when he put his boxers on… you can guess the rest."

Freya blinked, before she got up with Kenichi by her side, both staring at the blond with disbelief, "You pranked a master?!" both asked in shock. Naruto laughed and nodded, Freya blinking again, "Y-You… Are you for real? You pranked someone who not only teaches you how to master martial arts but has the power to turn you into minced meat before you even blink, and while knowing this you still went for it?"

"I had help." Naruto admitted, rubbing the back of his head, "Another master I know and who didn't like the guy much wanted to join in for the sake of a quick laugh… So I was able to blame it all on him."

The group blinked, "What kind of life do you live?" Kenichi asked. While those without masters didn't know what the fuzz could be about considering they hadn't gone through Hell and back in devilish training, Kenichi and Freya were wondering what kind of lucky star this guy was born under.

Naruto chuckled again, "So, when are those meat buns coming?" However, before anyone could reply a cell phone rang. Naruto cursed as Kakusei (Awakening) from Kamen Rider Blade echoed from his pocket, "Oh no, not now." he groaned and looked at the ID. Sure enough there was a picture of a shark, "Damn it… I should've put glue in his underpants."

"Is that your master?" Nijima asked, his antennae trying to connect to the hand held device Naruto held.

The blond quickly pocketed his cell phone and turned, grabbing his stuff, "Yeah, sorry, have to go. I'll have those meat buns later, perhaps as ramen bowls. Later!" he said in a hurry in just one breath.

"He's an odd one." Takeda said, leaning back.

"He's got style, though." Ukita said with a smile, pushing up his shades. That was his way to show respect for a shades-bro.

XXXXXX

Meanwhile, in between large metal crates in Tokyo's docks, one lone man sighed as he looked at the sky, his scythe resting on his shoulder as he waited. Soon his teeth were shown through a shark smile as one Naruto Uzumaki arrived with some good five minutes before the time he was supposed to be there. Just as Naruto arrived, the man turned and walked, clear sign he wanted Naruto to follow him. The blond did as told bt kept a hand at his side ready for anything nasty that could strike him when he least suspected it.

He was proven that it was good to have that thought when he turned and used his sword. By extending his arm to his side with his bamboo sword there, a girl with long black hair and the traditional white gi and red hakama from a Japanese archer gasped when the tip of the sword met her neck, barely tapping it after just snapping her bow in half, taking the arrow she had in her hands too clean off. There were a few more and an older woman who clearly was their master.

"Good, you stopped them from even pulling the string." Michael Schtilvay said with his shark grin as he leaned back.

Naruto raised a brow, "I was expected you to do better after that paint bomb in your pants."

Schtilvay growled, "That Tachibana helped you, but since I know it was your idea I have one on how to properly train you." He spun around his scythe and cut something at his side. It was a simple case which opened neatly to show Naruto something he missed, his swords. They were a katana and a wakizashi. Both swords were pitch black with a round silver guard and with a strange green rock tied on the katana's guard. The sheaths had a leaf motif on them, leaves flowing in the wind from the tip to the guard of the swords.

"How?" Naruto asked, but his scythe master already spoke.

"You have only twenty seconds to defeat all of these girls before I throw your weapons to the bottom of the sea."

Naruto growled and turned as the girls each grabbed an arrow with the one who lost hers at the star grabbing a new set. The same instant Schtilvay grabbed a clock and time ran. The blond threw away the bag in which he carried his temporary weapon, pulling out the short bokken for his left hand as he rushed at the archers. The Kyuudo users fired as one, only to gasp as Naruto easily closed in the distance by charging and, to their shock, use the bamboo sword and wakizashi to swat their arrows. Each of them moved back with great skill, trying to avoid him as they fired three arrows each simultaneously. Their master watched in interest as the blond kept on charging at them, knowing he would be unable to deflect all the projectiles even if he had only two weapons.

To the girls' shock, just as the clock kicked in ten seconds, Naruto stabbed his sword on the ground and used it to fling himself up and above the arrows, flipping over them like an Olympic athlete. Each girl tried to either step back or load another arrow, but were too slow to attack as Naruto spun in the air, taking complete control of the battle while airborne. A strike from each sword and a kick were enough to disarm all the archers, and with the tip of his bamboo sword on the last one's neck they knew they were defeated soundly.

Schtilvay clapped, "Glad to see Yokiou-sama's been teaching you properly even if you're nothing but a freeloader."

Naruto turned, "And you're still the same pain since day one." He said with no sign of fear in his voice.

Schtilvay cackled, "You still have ways to go… But for now, you did good. See? You always go for the gold and unleash everything when you want to, so why is it so hard for you to do so in missions?" he asked, still grinning as he towered over the blond.

Naruto chuckled, "I fight my own way, you fight your own. But I do believe I earned back my swords."

"You're right, go get 'em." Schtilvay cackled, "Though I must say, you'd be better learning under the scythe." He stepped closer to the archer girls, pulling up his scythe and twirling it in one hand, serving to terrify each of the disciples as they looked at their master for support, "With such talent you have at learning under every single one of us from the Hachiou, you're letting it all go to waste by not going all out." Schtilvay the growled and spun around, swinging his scythe upwards to split in two Naruto's bamboo sword and bokken which allowed the bow disciples to sigh in awe and relief.

The blond sighed as he tied his swords on his right hip, glad to have them back. "As I've said, Master, I like more Master Yokiou's style. I do appreciate yours and even been training under Master Mildred for any kind of situation, but this one appeals to me the most."

Schtilvay sighed, "What a shame… Fine, I'm outta here. Also, if Raigo or Yokiou-sama ask, I had nothing to do with giving you back your swords. I hope we have no problems." He said as he turned to the bow master.

"The experience was enough for my disciples. I shall see to it that they overcome their weaknesses. Do have a good night, Schtilvay-san, Uzumaki-san." The lady said with a polite bow before leaving.

Naruto flashed the girls a smile, "Take care." He said with a friendly tone that served to make their faces go red.

Schtilvay for his part growled, "Kids these days…" and with that, everyone took their own path with Naruto feeling happy at the sensation of his left hand resting on top of his swords' handles.

"This may be fun, after all… I wonder how strong Kenichi could get if we fought."

**XXXXXX**

**And that's my rap!**

**Sorry for the shorter than usual chapter and leaving you waiting for the big showdown but it's been busy for me these days and I'd like to save the fight for the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed the fic so far even with the new change I told you about. If you don't like it then try to remain rational and see if you can enjoy me trying to use Naruto to make Kenichi man up. If you wanted all the girls to go for Naruto, well, sorry but I need to keep things balanced rather than make it all an orgy. Seriously, fics lose their weight and make me lose any interest when it's just a lemon every chapter because of some guy just being cool.**

**But if any of you have problems with this, there's nothing stopping you from making your own version save asking for my permission and giving me some credit. I'd like to help you out if you do not feel my choices and decide to make your own fic.**

**Swordslinger out!**


	3. Chapter 3

I OWN NOTHING

It's hard to get creative when you have the world on your shoulders, which would make me feel sorry for Atlas but considering I'm kept locked in a padded room with horrible pudding, I feel like eating raw puppies.

**Personal note:** To all of you who tell me Naruto should steal Miu from Kenichi… do you want me to turn Naruto into Mako from Legend of Korra? That guy is the kind of prick that knows some guy (Bolin) is trying to do his best to get a girl and takes that girl's (Korra) affection from the poor guy despite how much he tries to get her respect and then the prick shows no emotion for the girl or jumps between her and a back-up girl. Do you really think Naruto would want to make some guy he barely even knows suffer the same kind of pain he was through because of some prick who takes everything like the world owes them a favor?

**XXXXXX**

Frienemies or rivals?

The sun rose peacefully, and no-one who had a right mind dared to walk in the way of Spark in her Kamen Rider-esque outfit with Naruto by her side smiling calmly as his swords rested calmly by his side. It was soothing for him to have the two resting his left hand on top of them as he walked by confused bystanders who shrugged the duo's outfits as cosplay. However, Raichi did have to arch a brow when the blond told her he'd "be ready to do things her way" before their fight, in the blonde man's language that meant wearing a new suit: an opened blood red mauve blazer, crimson dress pants, and he still kept his stylish Hannibal Chau inspired shoes, a black button-up shirt, and a red oni mask hiding his face. A few hardcore Team Fortress 2 fans complained about the lack of proper shirt, tie, gloves and mask as well as the swords, but the blonde's eyes staring at them shut them up.

But Raichi had to ask more about his motivations rather than his fashion sense, "Before we start this mission… why are you the only one here? The Armed Division should have provided you with help."

Naruto smiled kindly at her behind the intimidating mask, "Those guys are a bit immature. Not to say Master Mildred and her disciple aren't good company considering they're fun to mess with, but… well, I guess I'm the odd one out." He kept his smile as he sighed tiredly, "I mean, there's no one to laugh at my jokes, and the air's so tense and things are so serious it's kinda depressing. That's why I'd take any chance I could to get out and have a change of pace. Perhaps visit an arcade, throw peanuts at yakuza before beating them up, or flipping up a schoolgirl's skirt."

She felt a large bead of sweat dripping down the back of her head, "You're… sure you got the maturity part right? I do understand it's hard to get used to a strict environment, but we are martial artists."

Naruto laughed and patted her helmet which made her grit her teeth, "You're awfully and adorably naïve."

"Oi!" the pinkette cried as she slapped his hand off her skull. "What do you mean naïve? I am the one taking this whole situation seriously while you just seem to think of it as a walk in the park!"

Naruto looked at their destination, still far off, but let out another smile behind his mask, "That's my problem… Being too serious is no fun. People should be more idiotic. I bet they have problems in the shitter with how tight their asses must be with such stuck up attitudes."

Raichi palmed her masked face, "I should have refused to have back-up."

"Hey, your old fart did say you would manage to impress Yami by beating these guys, not me." The blond said as he put his right hand on his katana, the left hand resting on his wakizashi. Raichi, now taking her role as Spark, adjusted her gauntlets and watched with determination the door to one of the Shinpaku Alliance's headquarters. Naruto decided to kindly open the door as he stepped in front of it, both his swords now drawn. A clean cut and the lock was sliced in half for him to kick the door in, "So, wanna make a bet?" he asked calmly as he and Raichi entered the place, smaller than the real base of operations but with enough underlings to give a beating to, "The one who takes out the most of these guys gets dibs on whoever is skilled enough to give a fight in the real deal."

She smirked, her only response which he took as a yes with a chuckle of his own to seal the deal.

XXXXXX

"It was… like this." Kenichi said in the Ryozanpaku dojo as he asked Shigure for advice in how to fight a Nitoryu apprentice. A few hours after Naruto had run off to attend the call and left the boy to have fun with his friends, Kenichi had been curious about the whole fighting style and how to properly defend himself against it. Not that he wanted to purposely fight Naruto with how ridiculously strong some of his latest enemies had been, but being prepared never hurt, and the blond himself had claimed he wanted to have a match somewhere in the future. Kosaka Shigure had given him a pair of bokken to show the young swordsman's style to her and the other masters who examined the pose.

It was early in the morning and Miu was cleaning the dishes after breakfast as Kenichi took the pose, "Hmm… That style is… one of balance." The weapons mistress said with a critical eye. "Your opponent prioritizes defense… but that could also mean he's prone to attack when threatened or… willing to take the first step."

Akisame stroked his mustache as he approached Kenichi, "Let's see… Well, if he holds that pose then the best way to counter him is to let this Naruto get close to you and sidestep his attacks before going right in with either a grapple or a punch." He said and demonstrated by leaning to his side, grabbing Kenichi's elbow and flipping the boy in the air. An "Ouch…" came from the kid, but Akisame continued, "When facing someone with a weapon the best attack is a defense. If they take the defensive, then force them to attack you."

"It's more… complicated than that." Shigure said as she walked to her disciple and took out her sword and a knife she somehow kept hidden in her skimpy kimono, which made Kenichi stand up to try to run, but to no avail, "If this is a disciple of Nitoryu… his master could have taught him how to use both blades separately… like this." Here she swung her father's sword down, but at the same moment the untalented disciple managed to side-step the blow found itself wide open for the knife to strike him.

The tip of the knife was inches from his throat which made him gulp. "So, it's as if he could use my Yamazuki."

"Not quite." Sakaki said, chopping off the neck of a beer bottle, "Yamazuki is simultaneous, what Shigure just did was control both weapons in different patterns, something that requires far more coordination."

Kenichi sighed, "Well, I shall see if I can bring Naruto-san here and possibly spar. I mean, he does seem like a really nice guy."

"Are you serious?" Sakaki asked, pulling the beer away from him, "He could be trying to get close to you and attack."

Kenichi smiled, "He's different… When I talked with him, he didn't emit any aura of anger or any intent to fight me. Even with the others at the Shinpaku Alliance I know they are strong as martial artists… I don't think I can read when someone's a real martial artist, but when around someone I can tell if… well, if they're really good or bad people. Naruto-san never gave any kind of dark intent as he talked with me. Even Renka-san says he's a really nice if strange guy." He clenched his fist with a determined smile, "He's not a bad guy, he just enjoys martial arts."

Miu smiled as she walked in, "It seems you've made a new friend, Kenichi-san."

Shigure stood up, putting her sword between both, "You're not getting away… from today's training."

Now the kid's perky attitude was floored.

XXXXXX

"Well, that was a show." Naruto said as he let the last remaining fighter come at him, only to hit him right in the liver by unsheathing his katana by half, ramming the handle in the last Shinpaku soldier's gut to knock him out cold. The match was officially over, though for him and Spark it had been the instant they got in. Not a single one of the fighters at the Shinpaku Alliance's small headquarters had managed to impress them.

Spark spoke to her current partner, "You sure you wanted to make that bet? You didn't even move or showed you truly wanted to fight."

The blond sighed, rubbing the back of his head with half a smile, "I'm actually kinda bored…" here one of the beaten soldiers rose to his feet, pulling out a baton, "Besides, I'm lazy, and I don't wanna fight these weaklings…" the Shinpaku member rushed at the blond, "I didn't even have to unsheathe my swords." And true to his words, Naruto lifted a hand over his head, capturing the offending weapon.

Raichi jumped a few steps back as the last member of the little base was thrown to her feet, '_He uses both weapons and hand to hand combat? What kind of disciple is he without following anyone's orders?_'

He laughed, "Hey, the fact I have swords doesn't mean I can't throw a proper punch."

"Eek!" the girl cried, actually scared, '_Did he read my mind?_'

"No, your face has the question written all over it." The blond said, aiming a finger at the pinkette.

"S-Stop that!" she cried furiously, completely undignified with this treatment. "Honestly, at least that Shirahama boy has manners and knows how to be a gentleman. You are just a class clown."

The blond faked to wince, "Oh, little Raichi-chan's got a crush on Kenny-boy? Man, I am hurt."

"It's not a crush, it's stating that the enemy is someone I can actually respect!" the girl cried with her face a shade similar to her hair.

Naruto waved casually as he walked out the building, "Denial ain't just a river."

Fed up with his attitude, Raichi charged at him with a hook to his kidneys to take him down and make it easier to give him a proper beating. Her fist sailed through the air but met an abrupt stop when meeting the blond youth's blades. Naruto had managed to use both swords in a crossed manner to parry the pinkette's strike with their blunt side. She tried to attack him again only to stop before throwing her next strike.

It had been brief, but the second she stared at his eyes she had seen it all. Just as Naruto turned, his crimson eyes seemed to glow with devilish mirth behind his mask, she could even picture his teeth showing themselves and allowing her to see that he had canines longer than usual and sharp enough to tear through raw meat. Not only that but it was the attitude that stopped her, not the sight of those demonic eyes. Despite giving an opposite to such terrifying sights through the mouth and eye holes in the mask, Naruto's smile and eyes had a truly gleeful and even innocent tone to them, as if this was a fly he decided to feed some sugar cubes for the sake of being kind. But that wasn't still what stopped her from hitting him again, it was the fact his blades had instantly moved from parrying her fist to cross themselves before her neck, like a pair of scissors ready to cut a string.

She gulped hard, but didn't dare to let him intimidate her further. Just as his blades posed themselves to her neck for a fair warning, her hand settled for hovering over his neck to crush his Adam's apple rather than hitting him to make him see that if he tried anything, he was just as dead. "Even if my enemy's far stronger, I only admit defeat when truly can fight no longer." She decaled as her eyes set themselves on his to show her determination to this demon in human flesh.

He gave her a grin, "That's nice. Well, we are supposed to work together, so let's try to do that. But for showing some guts, heh, I'll see if I can keep my jokes to a minimum about you." Both pulled apart, with Naruto sheathing his swords, "Sorry about the blade to your neck thing, it's sort of a bad habit you get when around a certain scythe wielding master of mine." He explained with a friendly chuckle as if nothing had happened.

Needless to say, Raichi felt unnerved by his attitude, but she'd be damned if she let him get the best of her. However, '_It's a good thing I won; otherwise that flower boy would have to face him._'

Naruto chuckled, "I actually wanted to be nice and let you win to fight Kenichi, but I can retract that kindness."

"S-Stop doing that!" the now shocked Raichi managed to gasp out, making Naruto laugh some more.

He turned to her with a true smile, "Don't worry, I promise I won't get in your fight… After all, I joined Yami to carry out a bigger purpose than looking for fights."

She raised a brow, "What would that be?"

His grin widened, "To kill true monsters." And to avoid explaining, he looked at his cell-phone for the time with a smile, "We should get going." Just like that, he walked off with Spark following him. He then pulled off his mask by half to still hide the upper side of his face, mostly his eyes, but had enough of his lower face to give her a large grin, "So, should I interfere with you or let you get personal on Kenny-boy?"

"Shut up!" the girl cried, looking away from him as she knew any word she'd say would only be ammo for him.

However, what the blond didn't know was that there was a small, and highly intelligent, mouse taking pictures of his katanas with a glint in its eyes. The little creature knew its mission, it had been on patrol for weeks after it and its master heard of the arrival of those swords, the little rodent had had a hard time tracking down the carrier and now that it knew where he was off. It soon ran off.

XXXXXX

"Shigure-san, don't you think you're overdoing it even if just a bit?!" Miu cried as she watched how Kenichi ducked under a pair of wooden swords, and forced to block a downward slash aimed at his head only for the other sword to flip him off his feet. The brunet managed to break his fall as best he could with all he learned, but soon found the bokken slammed inches from his face and Shigure looking down on him, not on the dismissive disapproving manner a snob would use, but because she stood over him and used the bokken to keep him from looking at the funidoshi she called her underwear.

Sakaki sighed at the sight of his disciple yet again getting pummeled, "Oi, Shigure, give him a break, I still have some kinks to work with him and two-handed combat."

The woman silently turned to him, giving him a cocky expression, "Like a mother… hen, you worry over Kenichi."

"I do not!" the man roared, crushing his empty beer bottle before grabbing the boy by the scruff of his training gear, "I'm taking him to polish the new technique I've been teaching him, and then you'll see how his bloody knuckles show how I'm just being a good teacher giving great teachings to my student."

Shigure kept her best expression of a smile or what came near to it, "Like a mother… hen."

Sakaki was about to reply until something darted from behind him, used his shoulder to jump, and landed on Shigure's bust, using her breasts as a trampoline to jump at her with something in its tiny hands. Shigure ignored the way her cleavage was used and caught her pet mouse Tochumaru in her hands with her same emotionless face.

"What's that?" Kenichi asked as he tried to free himself from the hand on his gi's collar, as his head, Sakaki's, Miu's and a newly arrived Apachai stared at the pictures.

In just an instant, everyone, even Kenichi who was still mastering reading someone's moves, noticed that Shigure's eyes went wide before she crumbled the pictures in her hand, making it impossible for anyone to see what was in them. "It's… private." She said and walked off. The others looked at her in confusion, she just walked to the door, grabbed her trench coat, and walked out but not before Kenichi spoke to her.

"Wait, where are you going? I'd still like to keep figuring a pattern against those two-handed sword strikes." He said, though he was actually concerned that his master could be going somewhere dangerous, as it was usual for her to go out for days and return with wounds. Everyone knew it was a dangerous affair, but since it was her business they left her alone, but that didn't mean curiosity didn't raise in the young disciple.

She replied as best she could, "I'm going to try… to hunt a fox." She hefted her sword inside her coat and opened the door.

Kenichi blinked, "You mean for bringing dinner, or for fighting?"

Shigure for her part just closed the door and looked at the pictures in her hand, "Blonde hair… looks American, whiskers in his cheeks… So you are Naruto… Kenichi's new friend?" She didn't want to believe what she was seeing, but by the looks of it, and the description Kenichi gave, there was no other explanation. The outfit may have been different and the mask hid his upper face when the picture had been taken, but the similatities were too many to shrug it off as a coincidence. She walked forward, looking intently at the images, or rather, the images on the swords. For her there was no mistaking those leaves in the sheathes or the way they curved, even less the weight the blade had to imply with how both swords hung from the whiskered youth's hip.

Those swords were her father's.

XXXXXX

"So, I've been thinking spaghetti tonight." Naruto said between hand motions to Spark who nodded as she listened intently to him.

But just as they neared the Shinpaku Alliance with a few more blocks of distance, the blond stopped, making the pinkette turn at him questioningly, "Is something wrong?" she asked, tensing her body in case anything happened. Naruto turned to look into the sky and sure enough caught a glimpse of nicely shaped legs in dark purple stockings.

"I'll distract them." he said as he clutched his swords, ready to unsheathe them, "I snuff something familiar in this one, so I guess they want something from me. You run up ahead, I'll catch up to help you with whoever remains. For now I'll do my job and keep anyone who could bother your fight out." The pinkette nodded and left the blond to his own business as she ran to meet the flower boy she was tasked to beat.

Meanwhile, Naruto calmly walked into the alley, with his hands still on his sword's sheaths, and looked around for his new opponent. Not that he needed to. In one swift Iai move he swung his katana out and cut a pipe. Water spilled out from the cut and sprayed the alley, only to be stopped by a kunai that stopped the flow and sealed the hole. Naruto looked up where the weapon came from and soon his opponent landed before him with an impassive look on her face. Soon he was face to face a very beautiful if strangely dressed woman with zig-zag eyebrows that didn't stop him from thinking she had the appearance a lady needed for many weak-minded men to lick the ground they walked on.

"Not… bad." She said as she examined the masked blond, looking into his inhuman eyes. "You're not a normal… disciple." Shigure stepped closer, knowing the difference in skill between the two, but still kept some distance because if a disciple had found her out and not only that but managed to emanate little to no fighting intent to her, a Grand level master, there was something off with him.

"Kosaka Shigure, I presume." Naruto said as he unsheathed his swords and got into the stance he showed Kenichi, "I've been told of you, and about who made these swords… by your brother." Her eyes widened barely a millimeter for a millisecond, but to Naruto's demonic eyes it was as clear as day, and soon she took back her usual emotionless expression, "I'm guessing you're not fond of words."

"Not… really." She said as she kept on approaching him, forcing Naruto into a defensive stance with his swords crossed before him, for he knew that a master was not to be messed with, no matter how gifted one was.

"Why do you want my Benimaru and Zanmato?" he finally asked, "I've heard you've been collecting your father's swords, so let me ask, is it for his memory, or is there something else?"

"You talk… too much." She said as she stood two feet from him.

"Sorry, force of habit." Naruto chuckled in good humor as he kept his defensive stance.

Soon he did something that went against all reason as he, still a disciple who got nearer and nearer master level, faced a master that was beyond most masters: he sheathed his swords. "Interesting…" she said, pausing a bit, "Your swords have blood… but you carry no killer intent… or show any whatsoever."

Naruto breathed in calmly, trying to figure out her next move, "I'm a killer, though. I will admit, sometimes I do feel a bit good at what I do, but I promised myself only to kill the kind of bastard who wouldn't turn back from his ways that'd harm someone. So, yes, the only reason I met your brother and got these swords was for that."

"That's not… it." The kunoichi said and shocked Naruto as she placed her hands on the handles of his swords, "Benimaru and… Zanmato are happy… with you." She caressed the swords and looked at him through his mask, "What're you to… Kenichi?"

"Eh? Is that what you really want to talk about? After saying that creepy stuff about my swords?" he got a stoic nod from a proud face and stepped back, keeping his weapons to his side. He rubbed the back of his head and tried to answer truthfully, "I wouldn't say friend, that's for certain. He's a fun guy… but stupidly naïve and he still needs to grow some hair in his balls. That's my opinion… But, he is the kind of person I wouldn't kill." Soon he couldn't hold back a warm smile, "Heh… I met him yesterday, and after meeting his friends… I just know he's not the kind of guy who deserves to taste the edge of my blade… And yet I still wish to fight him, to both improve myself and make sure he gets bigger balls." He then turned to her and gripped his swords, ready to draw them out, "But if I need to, I won't hold back on him, or else that hero thing he has will get him to slam his face into a wall."

Shigure puffed up her chest, looking proud, "He already knows… from what we're teaching him."

"So you're one of her masters, figures." Naruto commented as he stepped backwards away from her, "But I guess this is where our little talk ends."

Shigure nodded, "I'll take… your swords with me." She drew out her sword and got ready to fight.

"My, my… I do have to say, following little old me for some swords? That's a bit cold, don't you think?" the blond modern day samurai said as he held his swords with his left hand to his body. He turned around, his mask glinting in the light of the alley as he stood before the master.

The woman just threw off her coat, grabbing a sword on her back, "Your swords... belong to me." she said and rushed at the blond.

Naruto grunted as he raised his katana and wakizashi, both swords clashing with Shigure's longer weapon that while lacking a proper guard its blade made him stare in awe. In just that second their blades clashed, his attacker effortlessly twirled his blades to the side, then down as she wrapped them around her sword, and threw them up into the sky off his hands. Naruto growled but then grinned behind his mask, if this was what it felt a master level fighter, easily a grand master, then he was going to enjoy it. Even if he was only a disciple, and while good he was still ways from facing people as strong as this lady, that wouldn't make him turn away from a good fight.

However, he watched in shock and horror how she readied her sword to not only strike his airborne weapons, but destroy them. He wouldn't let that happen, not when he needed those swords. And just as Shigure swung her blade, she widened her eyes in shock when Naruto's bare right hand caught her sword in a tightened fist, willingly letting the best blade in the world slice through the palm's skin and flesh like it was hot butter to grab the handle. Shigure wanted to pull back her blade, but the way the young man before her was holding her sword, even gripping on it as he kept on moving his hand from the tip to the handle to keep her locked in place, meant she could endanger him losing his hand.

And with his free hand, the blond caught his swords by the handles, and to his shock Shigure singlehandedly pulled out a sharp knife from her cleavage with her other hand and attempted to destroy the blades once again. Only that this time the knife was intercepted by Naruto's mouth, making him grunt while she watched in shock how he forced his head in her blade's trajectory, cutting through one side of his mask and piercing part of his cheek as he bit furiously on the knife.

"Those blades aren't... worth your limbs." Shigure said in her monotone, though in her mind she was going insane with the sheer determination this boy had over the weapons she sought to collect and destroy in her father's name.

Naruto groaned, trying to pull his swords away from her as best he could, and even with the knife in his mouth and the blood leaking to the floor from his jaw, he managed to speak clear enough or her, "Sorry, lady... I need these swords. I won't lie, I knew what I was getting myself into when I first held them and told what I was going to do with them. But I was given these swords to train, to become a master, and to carry on my dream... I don't care if you tear my body apart..." here he moved forward, gripping her sword's handle tighter despite his palm getting a deeper cut. "I promised myself I would do one thing right... and that is to kill real monsters."

"Wouldn't that include... you?" she asked, seeing the red in his eyes through the lenses of his shades, "Those swords... have blood."

Naruto grinned, "I know. I'm not some idiot focusing on Katsujinken or Satsujinken bull, I know when someone is unredeemable, when someone you try to save countless of times will only back stab you for their own selfish goals, when people will just look at each other funny and think it's enough to kill. But the kind of people I want to kill are the ones that try to steal someone's life. People who make others feel lonely, who take the things others hold dearly, who despite how many people want to help them they will hurt them for their gain... That's the kind of people I want to kill, do you have a problem, kunoichi-chan?"

"You're Kenichi's... friend." she replied and he let go of her swords which she pulled back to wipe the blood off, "If you hurt him, you'll... wish I purposely did this to you."

He winced, that wasn't an empty threat, it was the truth, "You're a scary one, lady... Heh, I am actually getting to like you. But you're wasting your time." He managed to smile, ignoring the pain, "Kenichi's a good guy... Sure, he's stupidly trusting and too much of a thick-headed goodie-two shoes, but he's not the kind of person I'd like to purposely hurt, not unless I could get a fun match out of him or he could help me improve. And I made myself a promise..." here he chuckled, "I wouldn't use my swords to kill those who have that kind of good heart... Makes me feel I have some humanity in me seeing people as idiotic as I used to be."

Shigure stood there, not trusting the youth. He was either insane or truly accepted the monster he was. It was weird but, deep inside, she could feel something similar to him. To see a loved one taken, to feel ultimately alone, and to want power to avoid said circumstances repeating were parts she kept hidden from everyone, it all brought her great grief, but the way Naruto spoke felt like he knew of that kind of pain, that he knew what loneliness was about.

But, to her shock, the blond jumped in a single leap all the way to the rooftops, something she certainly didn't expect him to do. "You're too good for me, lady." He said with a grin, "Next time we meet, let's try to talk more without you trying to take away my toys. For now I'm busy." And with that he ran off at speeds that she wouldn't have expected in any disciple his age.

"He's... interesting." She admitted as she grabbed her cloak and moved after him. "He talks too… much, though. But, Benimaru and Zanmato… how can he run and jump like that when both weight so much?"

Benimaru and Zanmato were some of the swords she watched her father make when she was far younger, a failed attempt at making unbreakable blades that almost succeeded. The swords were more resistant than the average one, but there was a problem, Benimaru the katana weighted three hundred pounds while Zanmato the wakizashi weighted a hundred pounds. It didn't matter what kind of master one was, to carry such weight Naruto couldn't be entirely human.

She decided to follow the blond and see what he could do, because either way he was someone she needed to question thoroughly.

**XXXXXX**

**And that's my rap! Yeah, sorry for no big showdown between Naruto and Kenichi, I did say there'd be a showdown but never between who, did I? Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, next one will have Naruto forcing Kenichi to man up whether he likes it or not, I promise.**

**Swordslinger out!**


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